Ante Delija Looks to Bounce Back at UFC Houston

Former PFL champion Ante Delija faces Serghei Spivac in a top ten heavyweight showdown.

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC Houston, former PFL champion Ante Delija (26-7) will look to bounce back as he takes on the 'Polar Bear' Serghei Spivac (17-6) in a top ten heavyweight matchup. Delija is coming off a controversial loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta, while Spivac has lost two fights in a row and needs a win to stay relevant in the shallow UFC heavyweight division.

Why it matters

Heavyweight is far from a glamorous division these days, but this top ten matchup is still important as it could put the winner in position for a potential title shot with a couple more impressive wins. The division is so shallow that it doesn't take much to climb the rankings.

The details

Delija came into the UFC last year and immediately stopped Marcin Tybura in the first round. However, his next fight against Cortes-Acosta ended in controversy when a referee review determined Delija had poked Cortes-Acosta in the eye, leading to a restart and eventual knockout loss. Spivac, meanwhile, is 1-3 in his last four fights and needs a win to stay relevant in the division.

  • Delija's UFC debut win over Tybura came last year.
  • Delija's controversial loss to Cortes-Acosta happened a couple months after his debut.
  • Spivac's last win came against Marcin Tybura, but he has lost two straight fights since then.

The players

Ante Delija

A former PFL champion making his second appearance in the UFC, looking to bounce back from a controversial loss in his previous fight.

Serghei Spivac

Also known as the 'Polar Bear', Spivac is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak and stay relevant in the shallow UFC heavyweight division.

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What they’re saying

“Heavyweight is far from glamorous these days and this fight being a top ten matchup shows that off.”

— Daniel Cunningham, Author (empiresportsmedia.com)

The takeaway

This heavyweight matchup may not be the most glamorous, but it's an important one as the winner could quickly find themselves in title contention in the shallow UFC heavyweight division. Delija will look to bounce back from his controversial loss, while Spivac needs a win to stay relevant.